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Every day is a new adventure in the Adelie Penguin breeding colony at Cape Royds, Ross Island, Antarcitca. Our colony has about 2000 breeding pairs of Adelie Penguins and there are two of us who live in a tent about a quarter mile from the nesting sites. Dr.David Ainley who is a world authroity on Adelie Pneguins and the principal investigator for the research team that monitors several colonies on the island and Jean Pennycook , an educator, who shares Dr Ainley's work with the world. Along the way to work each day we pass Shackelton's hut built in 1908 which is now a world heritage site and being renovated by the New Zealand's Antarctic Heritage Trust. Besides Adelie Penguins, we see Emperor Penguins, seals, whales, skuas and snow petrels at Cape Royds. In the background is Mt Erebus, one of three volcanos on Ross Island and the only active one. Follow along with our stories as the season progresses. We welcome your comments and questions.
Click here for additional information about Adelie penguins and how they are coping with climate change. Click here for additional activities you can do in your classroom. Questions about this page? Email me. Jean Pennycook penguin_letters@yahoo.com |
Cape Royds Adelie Penguin breeding colony. |
These are daily stories from Cape Royds Adelie Breeding Colony on Ross Island, Antarctica. If you would like to follow penguin families 'live from the field' as they raise their chicks go HERE. Click on any picture to see a larger version |
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| This concludes the 2012-2013 Adelie Penguin breeding season at Cape Royds, Antarctica. Come back next year, Nov 2013 for another season of pictures and stories. | |||
Jan 18 , 2013 |
You're Not a Chick Anymore.This Adelie chick is loosing its chick feathers and growing the adult plumage that will enable it to stay warm and dry in the water. During this transition they require a great deal of food. | Jan 20 , 2013 |
New Clothes. This Adélie Penguin chick has almost completely lost his chick feathers and grown a set of adult ones. This is the last step in their maturing before he can keep warm and dry in the water as he looks for food. |
Jan 16 , 2013 |
Molt is On. This chick is probably a month old, and is the first chick I have seen with the signs of growing its adult feathers. These birds will not be able to swim in the ocean and forage for their own food until they have all their adult feathers. The chick feathers are warm but not water proof. | Jan 17 , 2013 |
Storm Penguin. When a blizzard arrives at Cape Royds, many of the penguins hunker down on the snow and ride the storm out. After 24 hours of strong winds and snow this bird is almost buried. You can see his back and the tip of his tail. Snow is a good insulator so at least he is protected from the wind. |
Jan 14 , 2013 |
Penguin Feet. Adelie Penguins need strong feet and toenails to climb over rock and ice. Here an adult penguin is climbing the rocks at Cape Royds to get to its nest. Notice that the feathers come down almost to the end of the leg giving the appearance of short legs, but these birds have long strong legs. To learn more go HERE. |
Jan 15 , 2013 |
Old Clothes. Living in Antarctica is hard on feathers. Cold water, ice, strong winds all take its toll even on these sturdy birds. Adelie Penguins lose their feather and grow new ones (molt) every year to replace worn out ones. On this bird, much of the black part of these feathers has already worn off. Molting is about a month away for most of these birds so we hope he can still stay warm and dry with these feathers. |
Jan 12 , 2013 |
Hungry Chick. Compare this chick to the one in our Dec 30 entry below. This one is hungry and waiting for the parents to come and fill his belly with food. It takes a lot of food to raise a penguin chick. I will check on him tomorow to make sure they came back. Hopefully his belly will be full. |
Jan 13 , 2013 |
Now What? With the sea ice starting to break up these cracks are occuring just off from Cape Royds. These birds are full of food for thier chicks and the nest is on the other side of the crack. Some birds can jump one this small, but we have seen some fall in when they try. Others will dive into the water and then crawl out the other side. The group will stand here for a while yakking and swaking trying to decide what to do. |
Jan 10 , 2013 |
Whales in Town. A melt pond or 'polyna' has opened up in the frozen sea ice and the whales have come into it to feed. Here you see one Orca spy hopping and several others in the area. Theywere here for about an hour then left. These whales do not bother the penguins. | Jan 11 , 2013 |
The Baby Sitter. As the the chicks get older the parents do not guard them so closely. Here we see an adult surrounded by nests of chicks. Hard to tell which chick belong to which adult. You can see the structure of the nests have broken down as the penguins move around more and the parents are busy getting food rather than collecting rocks. |
Jan 8 , 2013 |
Tag you are IT! This bird will wear the TDR (time, depth, recorder) tag for one trip to the ocean as it looks for food. It will tell us where he went, how many dives, and how deep the dives were as he searches for food. This way we can assess the abundance of food available for these birds. I am holding him steady as Dr. David Ainley attaches the tag. It takes about 5 min and does not hurt the bird. You can read more about how we use satellite tags HERE Picture courtesy: Elaine Hood |
Jan 9 , 2013 |
Sea Glider 4 An update on our sea glider. You can see that as the season progresses the penguins must go further and further for food. Our sea glider is working to record the conditions of the foraging areas by being close to where they are. You can follow along as more data comes in by going HERE. |
Jan 6 , 2013 |
Pigment loss. This penguin is slightly different than the others. He has no pigment on the tip of his wings and most of his toes. A genetic variation or alteration has caused this. It does not seem to effect him in anyway, but he does stand out in the crowd. The outside toe on his other foot is also black. | Jan 7 , 2013 |
And the Rest. So many of you wrote in to see what the rest of this bird looks like. Here he is with white feathers in odd places all over his body. We named him Salty. |
Jan 4 , 2013 |
Whales. Penguins have to share their space at Cape Royds. Today a pod of killer whales came through. These large predators do not bother the penguins, too much work for such a small meal, instead they eat the large Antarctic toothfish. If you would like to learn more about the relationship between whales, penguins and the Antarctic toothfish go HERE. | Jan 5 , 2013 |
How We Know What We Know. This penguin has been outfitted with a TDR (time-depth-recorder) tag which it will wear for about 24 hours, or one trip to the ocean for food for itself and it's chick. It will record how long the bird was out feeding, where it went, how many and how deep the feeding dives were and how long it stayed under the water for each dive. This is important information for researchers to learn about the location and quantity of food resources for these birds and their chicks. If you would like to learn more about these tags go H ERE. |
Dec 31 , 2012 |
Sea Glider 3 An update on our sea glider. You can see that as the season progresses the penguins must go further and further for food. Our sea glider is working to record the conditions of the foraging areas by being close to where they are. You can follow along as more data comes in by going HERE. |
Jan 3 , 2013 |
Penguin Attack. Normally Adélie Penguins are more curious than aggressive. If you stand still they will come close and investigate what you are. In this case the penguin walked over to me, first played with my shoe laces, then decided to see if I was something to eat. It took a nibble at my leg then a hard bite which hurt. I did not want to scare him so tried hard to stand still, luckily he did not bite a second time, denim is not his favorite taste. Photo: courtesy Elaine Hood |
Dec 29 , 2012 |
Yearling. We so rarely see one year old Adelie Pengiuns in the colony. They spend their lives out on the sea ice, eating and growing. This is the only one I have seen so far this year. You can tell a one year old because of the white chin. When he molts this year his new chin will be black. See picture below. | Dec 30 , 2012 |
Eating Machine. Adelie Penguin chicks must grow fast. This one will multiply its birth weight by 30 in 50 days. That is like a 7 lb baby weighing 210 lbs in a month and a half. Here you see a 10 day old chick with a stomach to match its appetite. Parents will bring back almost 66 pounds of food for each chicks by the time they are ready to be on their own. If you would like to learn more about how we know this go HERE. |
Dec 27 , 2012 |
Eating Tools. Adelie Penguins have many adaptions to thrive in the harsh environment of Antarctica. Here you see their mouth parts whick include soft finger-like projections on their tongue and roof of the mouth. These make it easier to catch and swallow their prey whole. Small fish and krill get forced toward the throat and into the stomach. If you would like to see other adaptions go HERE. | Dec 28 , 2012 |
Reinforcements are here. This Adélie Penguin, Lonely Joe, built his nest a long way from the others. I have been worried about him all season and yet he has been able to fend off the Skua attacks which have been numerous because he is so isolated. Recently we have had an influx of many young birds in the colony. They are not here to breed, but may be looking around for next year. For now they have made a circle around Lonely Joe and are keeping the Skuas away. Lonely Joe and his mate get a break and can rest easily on their eggs. |
Dec 25 , 2012 |
Nest #4 has Failed. This is a sad day for us as Nest #4 has failed. The male did not return in time to relieve the female who had been sitting on the eggs for over 2 weeks. During that time she had not eaten anything or had any water as she cannot leave the nest. She is gone. The eggs rolled out and became food for the Skuas as you can see in this picture. |
Dec 26 , 2012 |
Penguin Family. It takes two parents to fledge (ready to be on their own) these chicks. One must stay and guard them from the cold and every present Skuas, the other must go get food. The parents take turns guarding and foraging, the work is evenly split between male and female. These chicks will eat about 30 kg (about 66 lbs) of food before they fledge. If you would like to learn more about how we know this go HERE. |
Dec 23 , 2012 |
Feeding the Chicks 2. It is the same everywhere, feeding the children is a messy event. As every young mother knows when you feed the chicks the food gets everywhere. In this case the food is all over the the parent, the chick and ground. I have seen the same scene with a one year old baby and spaghetti. If you would like to learn more about penguin diet go HERE |
Dec 24 , 2012 |
Our New Flag. This one from Grayslake Middle School, Grayslake IL. Ellen Bergstrom's class. |
Dec 21 , 2012 |
Feeding the Chicks. Part of our study is to find out what the penguins are eating. It seems to change during the season and we want to know why. We do this by watching what they feed their chicks. This is nest #2 and today they are getting a meal of part fish and part krill. Krill is pink and fish is silver. If you would like to learn more about penguin diet go HERE |
Dec 22 , 2012 |
Penguin Chick Hatch. This is our first chick from Nest #6. Penguin chicks have to work hard to break out of their shells and the parents will not help them. This one is almost out (you can see the beak and wing) and will emerge wet. The parent will keep the chicks in the brood patch for several days to keep them warm as they are vulnerable to the cold and winds. |
Dec 18 , 2012 |
Sea Glider 1. This self-propelled torpedo-like vehicle will be gliding through the ocean where the birds from our sister colony Cape Crozier feed. It will be taking measurements about the ocean as well as locating schools of fish. At the same time, some penguins will be outfitted with transmitters so we can see where they go for food. To learn more about this glider and watch its movements go HERE. |
Dec 19 , 2012 |
Sea Glider 2. This map shows where the sea glider has been and where the penguins are foraging. You can follow along as more data comes in by going HERE. |
Dec 16 , 2012 |
She has a secret. This bird is laying on her nest and although she will not stand up so we can see, we can tell she has a newly hatched chick. Our clues are the broken egg shell nearby and the marks near her mouth. When adults feed their chicks there is always some left over that splashes onto their mouth. Maybe tomorrow she will let us see the chick. | Dec 17 , 2012 |
Meal Time. These penguins are on their way to the ocean and food. They have been tending the nest with eggs waiting for their mate to return, now it is their turn. Some have been waiting over 2 weeks for relief. The ocean is not far, the small iceberg marks the ice edge, less than a half a mile from the colony. This is a good year for penguins at Cape Royds. |
Dec 14 , 2012 |
Predator and Prey. These two birds share the breeding colony at Cape Royds. Skuas eat penguin eggs and chicks during this time, as they soon will have their own chicks to feed. The Adelie penguin in this picture has 2 eggs and this Skua has had his eyes on them for some time. We wish the penguin luck in continuing to defend both eggs and hopefully chicks. |
Dec 15 , 2012 |
Jumping the Cracks. The sea ice off Cape Royds is breaking up. To get to the open ocean and food, the penguins need to get from one ice floe (chunk of sea ice) to another. If the space is small enough they jump. Almost like flying for these birds. And, NO, they don't always make it. Sometimes they fall in the crack and have to climb out. |
Dec 12 , 2012 |
Warm wings. This penguin has just returned from the ocean. The ocean is cold and he uses his wings to fly through the water, both demanding a great deal of energy. The pink color here is due to the large amount of blood supplying this energy. When these penguins are at rest on the land their wings are white indicating most of the blood has left their wings and gone back into their bodies to help keep them warm. | Dec 13 , 2012 |
First chick. This is the first chick of the season and marks the time when the colony will become full of new life and energy. We are so excited to see this happen. Today we found three nests with chicks. Tomorrow there will be many more. |
Dec 10 , 2012 |
Antarctic plants. Only the hardiest of plant life can survive in Antarctica. In the frozen lake near the penguin colony there are plenty of nutrients from the birds, but the water is frozen 10 months out of the year and the sun does not shine for 6 months. Yet this simple moss like plant survives from year to year. When the water runs and the sun shines, it thrives. |
Dec 11 , 2012 |
Center of the Circle. Sometimes being in the center is a good thing. Center nests are well protected from Skuas. But in this case the center bird has become covered in penguin poop. The white lines around each nest are poop squirts, the penguins raise their tails and squirt the poop away from their nest. Unfortunately the center bird has become the target for many of these squirts as you can see from the white lines on its back. |
Dec 8 , 2012 |
Design a Flag. If your classroom would like to design a flag to fly in front of the penguin colony go HERE for instructions. This flag was made by the Peach room at Montessori Academy in Pembroke Pines, FL. After fying near the penguins, it now hangs at the McMurdo research station science laboratory in Antarctica. |
Dec 9 , 2012 |
Supplies for the camp. This is how our field camp receives supplies. The helicopters from McMurdo arrive and bring propane for our stove and heater, food, and equipment. They also take away all trash, dirty water and even human waste. We leave nothing here. Antarctica is a pristine environment and we work hard to keep it that way. |
Dec 5 , 2012 |
Barnes Glacier. A day trip out to see the Barnes Glacier. The glacier comes off Mt Erebus and floats out over the ocean. Right now, the ocean is frozen so we are able to drive our snowmachines on it, but is a few weeks all this will be open water. |
Dec 7 , 2012 |
Glacier Melt. During the breeding season the glacier in the background melts proviing a small river through the colony. If global climate change warms this part of the world, the melt from the glacier will increase causing the water to rise. The penguins you see would not know to move their nests and would get washed away. |
Dec 2 , 2012 |
Emperor penguin chick. These chicks were hatched several weeks ago and will be ready to fledge in a few more. Adelie penguins will not hatch for 2 more weeks. The cycle of breeding for these birds is very different even though they live in the same place. If you would like to learn more about Emperor penguins go HERE. |
Dec 4 , 2012 |
Lost eggs. It seems Adelie penguins do not realize that their eggs have rolled out of the nest. Even when the eggs are very close to them, the adults do not roll them back in. Here are two eggs that will not become chicks this year. It makes us sad to see this, but we are here as observers only and cannot interfere with what happens. |
Nov 30, 2012 |
Penguin tracks in the snow. The penguin's tail makes the wiggly line in between the feet prints. Many people think they have short legs but here is a picture of them. They are long and powerful. It's not their legs that are short, it's their body which is long. Imagine our bodies going down to our ankles. We would walk like a penguin too. |
Dec 1 , 2012 |
Mt Erebus, the southern most active volcano. This volcano has a bubbling lava lake in the crater and shoots out lava bombs frequently. It serves as a backdrop to our penguin breeding colony at Cape Royds. In the picture you see the Hilton Group where nest #5 is. If you would like to learn more about Mt Erebus go HERE. |
Nov 28, 2012 |
Penguins in their natural habitat, on the ice. These adult Adelie Penguins are from our colony and taking a short rest before heading into the ocean to feed. They prefer to go into the water as a group so will wait for one to go first, then the rest will follow. |
Nov 29, 2012 |
Ice Berg. When part of an ice shelf breaks off it is called an ice berg. Here is one that found it's way to Cape Royds. 80% of the ice is below the water so you can imagine how big this is. They are moved by the wind, currents and tides. Who knows where this one will go next. |
Nov 26, 2012 |
Weddell seals in the McMurdo Sound area spend much of their time resting on the ice. In this area many have pups which are still nursing. The pups stay close to the mothers. Look at the picture carefully and see how many mothers with pups you can find. |
Nov 27, 2012 |
Antarctic Day. Dec 1 is the day to celebrate Antarctica and all the special animals that live there. Antarctica is for owned by no country and only science and limited tourism is allowed. The creatures that make this place their home need our protection which includes protecting their habitat and their food source. |
Nov 24, 2012 |
What penguins eat. We do not know why this penguin regurgitated this pile of krill, but it does let us know what they are currently eating. During the season they may switch to fish for reasons we are not sure of yet, but hoping to find out, one of the many mysteries of these extraordinary birds. To learn more about their diet go HERE. |
Nov 25, 2012 |
Sleeping penguins. Many people ask us how penguins sleep. Sometimes they sleep standing up with their heads under their wing, but we found these Emperor penguins laying on the ice resting. |
Nov 21, 2012 |
A satellite image of Ross Island. McMurdo Research Station is located at the end of the long peninsula and the three breeding colonies of Adélie Penguins are located on the three capes which have exposed areas and small rocks for their nests. This picture was taken Nov. 8, 2012 and you can see the open ocean is close to all three capes, good for the penguin parents as chicks require lots of food. |
Nov 23, 2012 |
Skua dinner. When the penguins start to lay eggs the Skuas arrive. These big predatory birds tag team the penguins on their nest. While one Skuas harasses the nesting adult the other reaches in and grabs the egg. This Skua has claimed his prize and will soon enjoy a meal. |
Nov 19, 2012 |
Near Miss. This penguin has had an accident. It appears to be a bite mark, perhaps from a leopard seal, but we do not know for sure. He has managed to survive and thrive in spit of it and is able to swim, feed and get around. Antarctica is a harsh place and penguins must not only cope with the weather, but also hungry predators in the ocean. We will watch him as the season progresses. He is on a nest with a mate. |
Nov 20, 2012 |
This Emperor penguin came into the colony today for a visit, rarely do we see them come onto the land. He wandered into an Adélie breeding group and was attacked by several birds trying to keep him from stepping on their eggs. This Adélie got behind him and started pushing him in the direction away from the nesting group. Gratefully the Emperor seemed to take the hint and walked away, rather than further into the nesting area. As it was a couple of eggs did get stepped on and were lost. |
Nov 17, 2012 |
It is early in the season and some nests are already losing their eggs. This one rolled out and was stepped on by the adults. No Skuas were around. So far I have counted 10 eggs like this in the colony. Maybe the adults are young and not being very careful, we do not know what caused this to happen. It is very sad. |
Nov 18, 2012 |
The Barnes Glacier. This glacier comes off the slopes of Mt. Erebus, an active volcano 5 miles from the penguin colony. The glacier has pushed its way into the ocean and right now is frozen in. We can walk up to the ice where the exposed parts are probably 20 000 years old. In a couple of months where we are standing will be open water. |
Nov 14, 2012 |
Penguins aren't the only ones creating families here in the Ross Sea area. Spring is the season for Weddel seals to have their pups. This one is about 10 days old and will rely on the mother for food for a few more weeks. The females haul out of the ocean through cracks in the ice to have their pups and remain on the ice until the pups are old enough to swim themselves. |
Nov 15, 2012 |
Mated pairs of Adélie Penguins stay close to each other while on the nest. Like humans this pair will work as a team to raise the chicks. They will take turns keeping the egg warm ( brooding) and then take turns bringing food back for the chicks. Antarctica is a harsh place, there is no chance a single parent can raise the chicks by themselves. |
Nov 12, 2012 |
Antarctica from 30 000 feet. The ice does not stand still. You can see how the glacier looks like a stream. In fact it is called an ice stream and it moves very slowly away from the interior of the continent towards the ocean. The end of the glacier may float out over the water where it will be called an ice shlef, and if a piece breaks off it will be called an iceberg. |
Nov 13, 2012 |
An early arrival to the Adelie breeding colony at Cape Royds. This picture was taken Oct 26, 2012. Few males were here so this lone bird was able to gather a very large pile of rocks. Within a few days other birds arrived and it was impossible for this male to guard the pile all the time. His stash was quickly reduced and his nest became much smaller. Males must constantly guard their rocks to maintain the nest. As soon as they turn their backs or walk off in search of new rocks, others will steal them.
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Jan 16 , 2012 |
Siblings. Notice the difference in the size of these nest mates. One may have hatched much sooner or one may be more aggressive getting food. As I watched this nest, both chicks were getting fed, but the larger one was getting more as it could reach the parents beak easier, was stronger and could reach higher. We will not know if the smaller one makes it. He will have to grow in a hurry to make fledging weight and size before winter comes. | Nov 10, 2012. The new breeding season for Adelie penguins has begun. We first sighted penguins at Cape Royds in late Oct and the first egg was seen on Nov 8. Our research team is now camped in the tents near the colony to watch as the penguins raise their families. Follow along with our daily pictures and stories on this page and adopt a penguin family to watch on a daily basis here. Contact us at penguin_letters@yahoo.com
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Jan 14 , 2012 |
Naked Peguin. An interesting chick in the colony. He has no feathers on his front side or head and the feathers on his back are small.. We are worried about how he will survive unless he grows his adult feathers. You can see the places where the feathers should be and you can see his ear. He seems to be thriving well, but will not be able to survive the cold without the protection of his parent. We will follow him as long as we can. |
Jan 15 , 2012 |
Skua Nest. I have passed this nest every day for the last few weeks. Finally the first egg has hatched. This chick is one day old. The second egg has a small hole in it and I can hear the chick peeping. Many of the Skua chicks do not make it through the first couple of weeks, but these aggressive predators live to be 40 years old so there are many opportunities to raise a family. |
Jan 12 , 2012 |
Disciplining the Children. Sometimes chicks wander off and when they do the neighbors will peck at them. When this happens, they can get disoriented, not be able to find their way back to the nest and become lost. This parent has decided one way to keep her chick under control is to put him between her legs and sit on his head. | Jan 13 , 2012 |
Buried Nest Update. An update on the story of Jan 8. We have been watching this nest over the last few days to see how the birds managed with the large amount of snow fall. The adult pulled himself out on the 8th and then over the next few days the hole widened. The parents were able to feed the chicks through the hole and as of today we feel the chicks will be able to get out of the hole themselves so we are no longer worried about this nest. |
Jan 10 , 2012 |
Time to Give Up. This pair has been taking turns nesting these eggs for over 53 days. For some reason they did not hatch. They may have gotten cold, were not fetilized, or something else was wrong. It is time to give up. They continued to sit the nest as all the other eggs around them hatched. Today the parent on the left got up to exchange with the returning parent on the right, but neither one sat back down on the eggs. Ten minutes later the eggs were gone to the Skuas. |
Jan 11 , 2012 |
Oldest Chick. This is the oldest chick I know of and was probably hatched on Dec 13. That makes him almost one month old. He is very large and you can see the adult feathers starting to come in around his head. There is a nest mate who is as large, but so far I do not see adult feathers on him. Notice the chin will be white as in the picture below for the first year of his life. Next year at this time he will molt again and get the adult black chin. |
Jan 8 , 2012 |
Buried in the Snow. After our recent snow storm, some of our nests were buried. This parent is on a chick and protected it from the storm with her body, but now finds herself buried in snow. Not a problem for the adult, within a few minutes she pulled herself out, but the chick will stay in the hole until the snow melts. The parents will still be able to feed the chick through the hole, so we are not worried. |
Jan 9 , 2012 |
The Yearling. This bird may not look like the other Adelie penguins at our colony but he is one. This is a one year old. When chicks get their first set of adult feathers they have a white chin. Only after their second year of life do they get the black chin as you see in the picture below and the others on this page.Yearlings rarely come to Cape Royds, as they are too young to breed. In six years this is only the second one I have seen. |
Jan 6 , 2012 |
Dinner Time! We get many questions about what the penguins eat. The only way we know is by watching what they feed the chicks. If it's orange, it's krill, if it's gray it's fish. Today a young parent regurgitated more food that her chick could eat so a pile of it was near the nest. You can see most of it is krill, the small shrimp like creatures with black eyes, but there is also some fish matter in there as well. If you want to read more about penguin diets and how we know this, go HERE |
Jan 7 , 2012 |
All Ashore! Look at the picture for Jan 3 below and you see how penguins go into the water. Here is what they look like when they come ashore. Notice how sleek their feathers are. Compressed against their bodies, the feathers keep these Antarctic penguins warm and dry in the sub freezing water of the Ross Sea. The water here is -1.6oC, which is below the freezing temperature of fresh water. It doesn't freeze because of the salt content. |
Jan 4 , 2012 |
First Skua Chick. These precocious chicks do not receive the constant protection from the parents that the penguin chicks get. Both parents are out looking for food and the chick is left alone. As I walked close, however, one of the parents flew back so from a distance they keep their eye on him. This chick is probably 2 days old. |
Jan 5 , 2012 |
Only a Mother Could Love. This chick is in the awkward stage of growing up. Most of his body is his stomach which the parents must constanly fill up. Adelie Penguins multiply their birth weight 30 times in 50 days, which is an incredible rate of growth. The fluffy chick feathers keep them warm, but are not water proof. After today's storm many of the chicks are wet and cold like this one. |
Jan 2 , 2012 |
Frozen in Time. In 1907-09 the British Antarctic Expedition, also known as the Nimrod Expedition, lived in a hut they built which is close to the penguin colony.The hut still contains much of the food, equipment and supplies of the original expedition. Here you can see some of the food they ate. It has been 100 years, but since everything stays frozen year round and there are no insects, mold or other pests, the food is still edible. To read more about the hut go to: http://www.nzaht.org/ |
Jan 3 , 2012 |
Perfect Form. One nice thing about the water being so close to us is the ability to watch the penguins diving, jumping and swimming. Here you see a penguin diving into the water from about 4 ft. Notice the extreme hydrodynamic shape of his body. The body shape of penguins has been reported as the most hydrodynamic shape known and has influenced the design of manmade underwater vehicles and equipment. They do not use their feet to paddle like a duck, but use their wings to fly through the water as other birds fly through the air. |
Dec 30, 2011 |
You Go First. There are many cracks in the ice just off Cape Royds. For days they have been easy for the penguins to jump over or go around. Today the cracks are too big and the birds have to swim across. In this picture a group of penguins stood at the edge for several minutes. No one wanted to be the first to go. Then one took the lead, within 5 seconds they all went. There are no leoplard seals near Cape Royds, but the penguins don't know this. Jumping in the water is always a risky event, but that is where their food is. |
Dec 31, 2011 |
Ice Crack. It is summer in Antarctica, the sea ice around Cape Royds is breaking up. For the penguins this means there is more access to places where food has been hiding. This crack, heading south from the tip of the cape, has been opening up for several days and today we are watching penguins use it for feeding. The seals also enjoy these cracks and there are several groups of them along the length of this one. |
Dec 28, 2011 |
Skua Attack. Skuas hover over the nesting birds looking for opportunities to swoop in and take eggs or chicks. This one has it's eye on a small chick in the nest below. The Skua can hover for several seconds trying to get the adult penguin off balance so it will expose the chick.This nest is in the rocks which is good, but as you can see there are few penguins close by to help fend off the attack. Today the adult successfully fended off the Skua. Penguin 1, Skua 0. |
Dec 29, 2011 |
Late Egg. This chick is more than a week old. The second egg has not hatched and probably won't. If it did now, the second chick would be so much smaller than the first that it may not be able to compete for food. At some point there will not be room in the nest for both the chick and the egg. It will get kicked out, roll away and become Skua food very quickly. I will continue to watch this nest to see how long it takes for that to happen. There are many reasons for the egg not hatching, perhaps it was not fertilized, or got cold. |
Dec 26, 2011 |
Near Miss. While we are talking about feathers, here is a penguin we will call "Lucky." We do not know what happened, but it could be this is a near miss from the bite of a leopard seal. The seal got away with a mouth full of feathers, but the penguin got away! In a few weeks he will go through a complete molt and grow new ones so no serious harm. While he is swimming, this area will be wet and cold, but we hope he will be able to tolerate that until the new feathers grow in. |
Dec 27, 2011 |
Brood Patch. This adult Adelie Penguin is showing us the brood patch. This is the only part of the penguin's body not covered with feathers besides the beak and feet. It is exactly the size of two eggs or two very small chicks. The eggs and chicks are nestled in here to keep warm. It's the penguin's body that creates the warmnth, not the feathers. |
Dec 24, 2011 |
Penguin Trees. Just like the song birds need trees, these penguins need sea ice. This is where they live and much of their food supply lives underneath the ice. In some places around Antarctica, changes in the sea ice have caused these penguins to move. If you would like to read about how global climate change has caused Adelie Penguins to move you can go HERE. |
Dec 25, 2011 |
Penguin feathers are different from other birds and a major factor in how these birds cope with this environment. These specialized feathers keep them warm when they are on the ice, dry when they are in the water and contribute to how fast they swim. More dense than any other bird, Antarctica penguins are almost completely convered with them. Only the tip of the beak, feet and brood patch are feather free. Every year Adelie Penguins undergo a complete molt, losing their old feathers and growing new ones. During this time they can not feed as they would not be waterproof. Around Cape Royds there are piles of feathers, letting us know many of them go through their molting process here. |
Dec 21, 2011 |
Penguin Tracks in the Snow. A few days ago we had a gentle snow storm and afterwards the penguins had fun. In this picture you can see their walking tracks and sliding tracks through the fresh snow. Sometimes the penguins slide on their bellies, we call this tobogganing and it's faster than walking. The wide track is made by a penguin tobogganer, the others by walkers. |
Dec 22-23, 2011 |
Fishing in the Ross Sea. This Russian fishing vessel near the Ross Ice Shelf hit ice Dec 16. The crew on board is safe, and New Zealand air crew have dropped pumps and patching supplies onto the nearby ice. This boat is fishing for the Antarctica Toothfish which is sold worldwide as Chilean Sea Bass. A main food source for whales and seals, their numbers have declined in recent years, due to commercial fishing.The boat also carries fuel, which if leaks, would harm populations of penguins who live in the area. Read more about this event HERE. |
Dec 19, 2011 |
Sunday Nap. This warm Sunday afternoon found many penguins snoozing quietly on their nests. Penguins are like people in this way, or maybe it's the other way around! The three here are still on eggs so no rushing to the ocean for food yet !! When the chicks hatch, the real work begins, there will be less time for rest as hungry penguin chicks will require about 60 lbs of food to reach fledging size and weight in the next 50 days. |
Dec 20, 2011 |
Skua Family. This Skua pair has built their nest right in the middle of the penguin colony. Everyday I walk past the nest and wonder why the penugins do not go after these predators of their eggs and chicks. A Skua is no match for an adult penguin, but for some reason they don't. Skua are territorial and will attack any other Skua that come into their breeding or eating territory. This pair is very unhappy about me being there and will attack me if I linger too long or get too close. |
Dec 17, 2011 |
New Life. This is a common sight these days and for the next several days. A brand new chick with its parent. The shell near the nest is a clue that this chick has just hatched. With so much wind at Cape Royds the shells scatter quickly and then the only way we can know about new chicks is when the parent stands up to feed them. New chicks are nested tightly for the first few days. You can see the second egg just behind this chick. It may be a day or two before it hatches. |
Dec 18, 2011 |
Iciciles. Sometimes we spend so much time with the penguins we forget to seek the rest of the beauty here in Antarctica. On this day we came across a magnificant icicile hanging from a rock. It was 5 ft long and just barely dripping when we took this picture. December is the middle of summer and the sun is up 24 hours a day, and even though the temperature is below freezing there is some melting of the snow and ice. |
Dec 14, 2011 |
Taxi Anyone? When we go back and forth from McMurdo research station to our little camp at Cape Royds, this is how we travel. The National Science Foundation provides 5 helicotpers which support the scientific research projects in the Ross Sea Area. Today, this one brought us our mail and some food supplies.The landing pad is right in front of our tent so we don't have to carry things very far. |
Dec 15-16, 2011 |
Mr Popper's Penguins is a classic story about how a group of Gentoo penguins change the way a man thinks about life. It is now a major motion picture starring Jim Carrey and you can win a DVD of the movie by sending us a self addressed stamped postcard. See details HERE. Gentoo penguins do live in Antarctica, but we do not see them here. Mr Popper sent us a flag to fly at our Adélie breeding colony. This is the first time Gentoo penguins have come to Cape Royds. |
Dec 11, 2011 |
Curious Penguin. Many penguins are very curious and if you are still and quiet they will come up to you. This one explored my boots and laces with his beak before looking up at me. I could only wonder what he was thinking as we stood there quietly for several moments. I am 10 times bigger than he is and could easily hurt him, but he was not afraid. |
Dec 13, 2011 |
Mt Erebus, the southern most active volcano. Today we can not see the plume becasue the air in Antarctica is very dry. Inside the crater there is an active lava lake which produces lovely feldspar crystals as large as your finger. There is a group of scientists that work near the rim of the crater and study this amazing mountain. If you would like to learn more about Mt Erebus you can visit the website HERE. |
Dec 9, 2011 |
First Skua Nest. These birds are the main predators of the penguin eggs and chicks. Some of them make their nests inside the penguin breeding colony to be close to their food source. This one is particulalry close to the penguins. Today she has one egg, but they frequently lay two. Skua do not make much of a nest, just scrap out a small depression in the sand. |
Dec 10, 2011 |
Penguin Temper. This penguin is showing me that he does not like what I am doing or where I am standing. In addition to this posture, he is growling at me. When this happens, the best thing for me to do is back away or stay very still because the next move on his part will be to bite. Penguins have very strong beaks and a bite will hurt. |
Dec 7, 2011 |
Happy penguin. This penguin is in his element. On this day It was snowing in the colony and some birds are sitting tightly on their nests, others are cozy up in the rocks to keep out of the snow and wind. Just like people, these birds respond to changes in the weather differently, this one was out enjoying it. I watched for a few minutes as he stood here flapping his wings and preening his feathers. Snow does not bother him. |
Dec 8, 2011 |
Snow Petral. The only other bird we see here besides penguins and Skua, the Snow Petral. This lovely and fast flying bird is aptly named. It is snow white except the jet black eye and beak. These pigeon size birds live on fish and krill and make their nest in rock outcroppings on Antarctic Islands near the ocean. We see them more often when the winds are high and I have never seen one land. Catching them on film reguires a fast shutter and many tries. |
Dec 5, 2011 |
Skua Hunters. Penguins aren't the only birds on Ross Island that get studied. These two bird researchers, Terry Greene and Roger McGarry, from New Zealand are here to count the Skua population around Cape Royds. It's hard work and today it is cold and snowing. So far they have counted about 70 birds. Luckily not all the Skua predate the penguins, many of them live off fish from the ocean. |
Dec 6, 2011 |
Third Egg. Sometimes an egg will get loose from one nest and roll into another. In that case the nesting adults will try to incubate all three. But the brood patch (featherless area on the belly of the adults) is only big enough to keep 2 eggs warm. The third egg will get shoved out one side or another. In this picture we see a third egg that is half in, half out. Without being completely covered, it will not be warm enough to properly incubate. We fear it will not hatch. |
Dec 3, 2011 |
Walk to the Ocean. The walk from Cape Royds to the open ocean. You can see the dark line where the ice meets the sky. It's only about a mile, but for a penguin with short legs it can seem longer. The pile of ice near me is made from the action of the tide which shoves ice up against the rocks of the cape. The pressure makes the ice break and pieces jam into each other. Over time it piles up. |
Dec 4, 2011 |
Bowling for Penguins. Adelie Penguins build their nests about 1 meter apart measured center to center. They usually don't face each other otherwise, if they are a bit too close, they will peck. Only under certain circumstances do they all face the same way as in this picture. When the wind blows, penguins face into it so the wind flows over their body and nout under their feathers. This is similar to the water when they swim, the feathers keeping them dry in the water and warm in the wind. |
Dec 1, 2011 |
Young Parents. For some reason this pair is not nesting their egg. Maybe they are young and in-experienced. Like many first time parents they are not sure what to do. Antarctica is always cold and unlike other birds, who can leave the eggs for awhile, penguins cannot. I watched this pair for almost an hour, they played with the egg, moved it around, but never laid down on it. A few times Skuas tried to take the egg, but the parents successfully defended it. Then a particularly bold Skua came and took it. This pair will not have a chick this season. |
Dec 2, 2011 |
Skua Kitchen. Some of the Skua pairs in our colony have territories and seem to predate the same group of nesting penguins. When they take the eggs, they frequently take them to the same place to eat them. Here is one of those places right near the group with our #7 nest. We call it the Skua kitchen. |
Nov 29, 2011 |
Searching for Bands. Being a penguin researcher is not always glamours. It is long hours walking the colony looking for banded birds, entering data into the computer and sometimes being cold. One of our researcher Dr. Katie Dugger in her element searching for banded birds at Cape Royds. Read more about Katie HERE.
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Nov 30, 2011 |
Fish Dinner. When penguins are not breeding and providing eggs and chicks for the Skua, these strong predators eat fish. Here you see a mated pair of Skua.One of them brought a fish in from the ocean to share with its mate. We are glad to see this because every fish eaten is one less penguin egg stolen. This pair hangs in the middle of the colony and may lay their eggs there, we will watch them. |
Nov 27, 2011 |
Dirty Birds. The day after the storm and the sun has come out. This means the new snow turns to mud and another challenge for the penguins. Some nests are very shallow and will catch the melt water. This will turn the eggs cold and they will not hatch. In this picture the pair lost the eggs in the storm, they must have rolled out of the nest or been kicked out as the birds tried to manage during the storm. Eggs in the open do not last long, there are many Skua in the colony this year. |
Nov 28, 2011 |
In 1907-09 the British Antarctic Expedition, also known as the Nimrod Expedition, used this hut in their pursuit of the South Pole. Led by Ernest Shackleton, the expedition reached a latitude of 88° 23' S, just 97.5 nautical miles (180.6 km; 112.2 mi) from the pole before having to turn back. The hut still contains much of the food, equipment and supplies of the original expedition. To read more about the hut go to: http://www.nzaht.org/ |
Nov 25, 2011 |
Storm in the colony. Not all the breeding groups in the colony get hit by the storm equally. The group in this picture is in the path of the wind as it comes off the frozen sea and always get covered with snow. Eggs and chicks fall out of nests,it is a tough location to raise a family. Other groups are on the side of the Cape which is sheltered by winds from the South, these nests do better. |
Nov 26, 2011 |
Visitors. We think we have this place to ourselves, but sometimes a tour ship will arrive and take tourists to Shackleton's Hut, one of the historic huts on Ross Island. This one is a Russian icebreaker that has been turned into a tour boat. Not too many ships are able to get through these waters. They anchored themselves in the ice as you see it here to wait out the 2 day storm. |
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What Penguins do in a Storm. When a storm arrives at Cape Royds, penguins on nests have no choice, they hunker down to protect eggs or chicks and allow the snow to cover them. Other penguins like the ones in this picture find a snow bank to lay on which protects them from the wind. The snow builds up around them and they find themselves in a hole. |  |
After the storm is over the penguins are able to pull themselves out of the hole and walk away. The amount of guano we see lets us know how long the pengin was in the hole. The storm lasted 2 days so we suspect the penguin was here for about that amount of time. |
Nov 22, 2011 |
They're Back. The Skuas have returned to Cape Royds. This pair has been in this nest location for many years and it is not far from the penguins. It will be a few days before they lay their eggs, but we already see the empty shells of the penguin eggs they have eaten.
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Nov 23, 2011 |
Friendly Spat. Sometimes penguins build their nest too close to each other and squabbles break out. In this case it was over some rocks that one neighbor felt belonged to him. The other bird thought they would look good on his nest so an argument started. Nothing too fierce, mostly beak jabbing and squawking. It was over in a few minutes. |
Nov 20, 2011 |
Head in the Snow When it snows in the colony, penguins who are not on a nest lay down and let the snow collect around them. Sometimes they will stay like this for a few days untill the storm stops. |
Nov 21, 2011 |
Lost Egg. When storms happen, trouble sometimes follow. Durring a snow storm at Cape Royds this egg rolled out of the the nest. The parents, both in the picture, either did not see it or did not know. Once the egg is out of the nest if freezes quickly and will not survive. This nest will only hatch one chick.
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Nov 18, 2011 |
Waiting for the Females. This male has made a very nice nest out fo rocks and is waiting for a female to come join him. This display is nosiy and says" This is my nest, look at me, come on by for a visit." |
Nov 19, 2011 |
View From Research Hut. Today is a brilliant day at Cape Royds and there is open ocean in front of us. This makes the penguins very happy as they do not need to go far for food. In the back is the continent of Antractica and the Royal Society Mountain Range.
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Nov 16, 2011 |
From 30 000 Feet. When flying over Antarctica you can see that some glaciers are not standing still. These ice streams are called that because even though they are soldi ice they flow. Look carefully to see the lines in the ice.
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Nov 17, 2011 |
Stubby Antarctica is a harsh place and penguins live a tough life. We do not know if this penguin had a close call with a predator, had a slip and fall or was born this way. No matter, it does not slow him down. |
Nov 14, 2011 |
Visitors to the Cape. These adult Emperors did not breed this year otherwise they woudl be in their colony tending to their chicks. Emperor chicks hatch in Sept and by this time would be in the highest need of food.
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Nov 15, 2011 |
Cape Royds Research Station. Today we move to our research station at Cape Royds very close to the penguins. OUr hut is a tent with a dmall propane heater to keep us warm and a solar panel to charge our computers, cameras and radios. It will be home for over 2 months.
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Oct 28, 2011 |
First Nest of the Season. This male will go without food and water for several days, maybe longer. These are the early birds. They must protect thier pile of rocks from the neighbors and wait for the females to arrive. If they leave the nest for even a minuet the rocks will be stolen.
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Nov 12, 2011 |
The First Egg of the Season. Today we see the first egg of the 2011-12 breeding season at Cape Royds.Some years the first egg is earlier, others it's a bit later. Why this happens is one reason we are here to study these remarkable birds. |
Click on one of the titles below to read some of the past stories from Cape Royds.
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What a Difference a Year Makes. Scientists use satelites to track the sea ice. The difference between 2009 and 2008 was surprising. Nov 3, 2009 |
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Storms and Snow Challenge the Penguins. This year there are more storms with more snow than other years. This makes the nesting process for the Adelies harder. See how they are coping. Nov 11, 2009 |
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Adelies Aren't the Only Ones With the sea edge so close, Emperor Penguins are coming onto the ice and walking towards Royds. They do not breed here, so what are they doing here? Nov 14, 2009 |
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Fish Story Today we walk the ice crack and look for fish heads. What does this have to do with penguins?
Dec 8, 2009 |
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Penguins 1 - Skuas 0 Penguins take revenge on a Skua who got too close. See who won.
Dec 12, 2009 |
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New Life Comes to Cape Royds, Our first chicks of the year, see how they hatch!
Dec 18, 2009 |
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Where Have All the Whales Gone? Commercial fishing in the Ross Sea is reducing the food source for the marine animals that live there.
Dec 24, 2009 |
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